Dayton One Of Four PFL Teams To Have Five Or More Honorees
https://daytonflyers.com/documents/2021/7/27/2021_Preseason_All_PFL_Teams.pdf
ST. LOUIS — The Pioneer Football League announced its preseason all-conference team today and five University of Dayton Flyers were named to the squad. Dayton’s selections consisted of running back Jake Chisholm, quarterback Jack Cook, safety Brandon Easterling, Flyer Zach Rumpke and kicker Sam Webster.
Chisholm was named First Team All-PFL in 2019 after finishing second in rushing (112.9) by .02 yards a game. The junior from Union, Ky. led qualified PFL rushers in yards per carry (7.4). He led FCS in all-purpose yardage (204.3 yards a game) after also catching 21 passes for 230 yards (and three touchdowns), and returned 29 kickoffs for a 23.6 yard average (with one TD). He is a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American, and a 2021 team captain.
Cook, another team captain this season, was Second Team All-PFL in 2019. He enters his senior season as the active FCS leader in career passing efficiency (162.0), which is sixth-best all-time. He quarterbacked the highest scoring team in FCS football in 2019 (42.6 ppg.) and led FCS in points responsible for per game (24.7). He completed 192 of 306 passes (.627) for 2,697 yards, with a UD-record 33 touchdowns against just five interceptions. He is from Cranberry Township, Pa.
Easterling was a 2019 FCS All-American by HERO Sports, the Walter Camp Foundation, the Associated Press and STATS FCS. He was a finalist for FCS Stats’ Buck Buchanan Award, which goes to the top defensive player in FCS. The Fairborn, Ohio native led FCS in solo tackles (7.5) and was second in total tackles (12.7) by 0.058 tackles per game. His nine turnovers acquired (six interceptions, three fumbles) were the most in FCS football in 2019. Easterling has also already been named a 2021 captain.
Rumpke, who hails from Cincinnati, was Honorable Mention All-PFL in 2019. He was thrown into action when then-co-captain Andrew Lutgens was injured in the season opener, and made the game-clinching interception in that win over 14th-ranked Indiana State. For the year, he was third on the team in tackles (66), and led Dayton in TFL (6.0), sacks (3.0), PBU (3) and interceptions (2) from his Flyer position (UD’s hybrid safety/linebacker).
Sophomore placekicker Sam Webster was named UD’s top freshman in 2019, and earned Second Team All-PFL honors. For the season, Webster was 8-for-9 in field goals and 58 of 60 on PATs. Twenty-four of his 35 kickoffs were touchbacks. His very first field goal was a 53-yarder at Robert Morris that helped earn him his first of two PFL Player of the Week honors. In the PFL, he was second in kick scoring (7.5 points per game) and he was the highest-scoring freshman in the league. He is from Richfield, Ohio.
UD was 8-3 overall and 6-2 in the PFL’s last fall season in 2019. The Flyers finished tied for second in the league that year with a 6-2 PFL record. Dayton won its last four games in 2019. UD was picked fourth in the preseason coaches’ poll that was released Tuesday.
The Flyers open the 2021 season at home against Robert Morris on Saturday, Sept. 4 at 12 noon ET. For ticket information, please visit DaytonFlyers.com.
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